Jan
Huntsman OUT
Jon Huntsman has decided to drop out of the 2012 GOP Presidential race just days before the South Carolina primary. Huntsman, who staked all his faith on New Hampshire, finished a disappointing third. However, he vowed to continue on. As of today, though, he will formally change his mind on that. He plans to announce his withdrawal and endorse Mitt Romney.
A source close to the Huntsman campaign said the former ambassador to China and Utah governor was “proud of the race that he ran” but “did not want to stand in the way” of rival Mitt Romney, the current front-runner for the Republican nomination.
Mr. Huntsman was never really a contender in this race. He suffered from several dynamics that worked against him. One, in my opinion, is that there was not room for two Mormons to run for the nomination. Clearly the LDS support is behind Mitt Romney. I find it interesting that this has been almost completely ignored in this campaign. At some point it will come up against Mr. Romney, possible in the general election if he gains the nomination.
Plus Huntsman’s persona came across poor in all the debates I watched. He seemed like a bitter man with no big ideas. He never gained enough traction to garner more air time, and so he now becomes the latest “also ran.” I do not think much of his support goes to Romney. I think it will go to the other conservative candidates, such as Gingrich, Perry, and Santorum. The field is becoming less crowded, and hopefully one of these candidates can make a legitimate push to “dethrone” Mr. Romney.
